Georgian americans

by Vladimir F. Wertsman

Overview

Georgia, called Sakartvelo by Georgians, is a European country occupying
about 27,000 square miles (69,700 square kilometers). It is almost half
the size of Illinois and is located in the mountainous region of
Transcaucasia. Georgia is bounded by Russia to the north and northeast,
Azerbaijan to the east, the Black Sea to the west, and Armenia and Turkey
to the south. The country's population, which was 5.5 million in
1995, is predominantly Georgian. The Georgians comprise 71 percent of the
population. Ethnic minorities include Armenians (8 percent), Russians (6.5
percent), Azerbaijanis (4.6 percent), Greeks (3 percent), Ossets (3
percent), and Abkhazians (2 percent). There are also smaller groups of
Ukrainians, Turks, Persians, and Jews. Georgians are Christians and belong
to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Islam and Judaism, which are practiced by
ethnic minorities, are tolerated.

Georgia has a rich cultural heritage that is expressed in the original
architecture of its churches, castles, and fortresses. The country is also
known for its exquisite gold and silver jewelry, polyphonic songs, and
uniquely painted icons. The Georgian people are noted for their courage,
passionate love of music, dancing, poetry, and longevity. Every 51 of
100,000 people in Georgia are 100 years of age or more.

Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia. The official language is Georgian, but
Russian is used as a second language. The Georgian flag has a red
background,
with a white and blue horizontal square in the left corner.

HISTORY

According to traditional Georgian accounts, Georgians are descendants of
Thargamos, the great-grandson of Japhet, son of the Biblical Noah. The
ancient name of Georgia was Colchis, which was associated for centuries
with the Greek myth of Jason and his 50 Argonauts, who sailed from Greece
to Colchis to capture the Golden Fleece. The legend describes how Medea,
the daughter of the King of Colchis, assisted Jason in his adventure, but
at the end was deserted by him. Colchis is historically recorded by
Herodotus (484-425
B.C.
), Xenophon (c.430-354
B.C.
), and Josephus Flavius (37-95
A.D.
).

Georgia was formed as a kingdom in the fourth century
B.C.
and, over several centuries, was ruled by Romans, Persians, Byzantines,
Arabs, and Turkish Seljuks. It regained full independence and unity under
King David the Restorer (1089-1125), and reached the height of territorial
expansion and cultural development under Queen Thamar (1183-1213). During
the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Monoglian invasions by Genghis
Khan and Tamerlane devastated the country and split its unity. In the
fifteenth century, Georgia was divided into the three kingdoms of Iberia,
Imertia, and Kakhetia. In 1555, Turkey took over the rule of West Georgia,
while East Georgia fell under Persian rule. In 1783, Georgia became a
protectorate of Russia. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the
country was annexed and incorporated into Russia's czarist empire.
Georgia remained a part of Russia until 1917, when the Bolsheviks
overthrew the czar and established a Communist state.

MODERN ERA

In 1918, Georgia became an independent state. However, three years later,
the Soviet Red Army invaded Georgia and incorporated it into the Soviet
Union. A rebellion that was designed to restore Georgian independence
failed in 1924. In 1936, a new constitution was proclaimed and Georgia
became a Soviet Socialist Republic under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin
(1879-1953), who was born a Georgian. Another Georgian, Lavrenti Beria
(1899-1953), was a friend of Stalin and became the chief of NKVD, the
Soviet secret police. Beria was notorious for extending Stalin's
regime of terror through executions, mass arrests, and deportations to
vast labor camps known as
gulags.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia again became an
independent nation in April of 1991. During the first half of the 1990s,
the country had to cope with difficult political, economic, and ethnic
problems. Two secessionist movements in the autonomous regions of Abkhazia
and Inghushetia required military intervention. Both conflicts ended in
1996 with the signing of a peace agreement. A bitter political struggle
between various parties and factions brought President Eduard Shevarnadze,
a former Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union, to power. Shevarnadze
quickly established a pro-Western government.

THE FIRST IN AMERICA

The Georgian presence in America began in 1890 with the arrival of 12
Georgian Cossack horsemen hired by Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild Congress
of Rough Riders. The Cossack horseman successfully competed with talented
horsemen from Mexico, Argentina, France, England, Spain, and the United
States. Under the leadership of Prince Ivan Rostromov Marcheradse, the
Georgians charmed audiences with their energy, style, and riding skills.
In 1910, a second group of 30 Georgian male and female riders successfully
performed with the Ringling Brothers Circus. A third group of nearly 50
Georgians were hired as laborers to work on the West Coast railroads.
Shortly before World War I, a few dozen Georgians returned to their native
land, while those who decided to settle in America formed the nucleus
around which the Georgian American community developed in later years.

SIGNIFICANT IMMIGRANT WAVES

Following the Soviet invasion of Georgia in 1921, hundreds of families,
fearing repression by Communist authorities, became refugees abroad. About
200 Georgian refugees, including former political leaders, members of
aristocracy, and military officers, came to the United States. Unable to
speak English and lacking financial resources or help from charitable
organizations, many Georgian refugees had a very hard time adjusting to
their new life in America. Some gave up their professional occupations to
take menial jobs, while others with aristocratic titles married wealthy
American women. Those who could not cope with life in America returned to
Europe, and joined other Georgian refugees who established themselves in
Germany, France, Poland, Turkey, and Belgium.

A second wave of Georgian refugees was recorded after World War II. More
than 250 men, women, and children came to the United States by virtue of
the Displaced Persons Act of 1948 and the
Refugee Act of 1953. Several were former prisoners of war who feared
reprisals if they returned to the Soviet Union. There were also some
Georgians who lived in Europe as refugees from the Soviet Union before the
start of World War II. These new immigrants, unlike the first wave,
received assistance from various charitable and non-profit organizations,
including the Georgian Association in the United States and The Tolstoy
Foundation. Many immigrants from this second wave were skilled workers,
professionals, military men, and clerical workers, and found it relatively
easy to adjust to their new homeland.

During the final decade of Soviet rule in Georgia, a third wave of
immigrants—consisting of a few hundred men and women—came to
the United States for economic, religious, educational, business, or
family reasons. This wave consisted of both professionals and
non-professionals and included persons from various ethnic groups within
Georgia. There are between 3,000 and 3,500 Georgian Americans, the
majority of which have settled in or around New York, Boston, Washington,
D.C., Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.

Acculturation and Assimilation

Because Georgian Americans are small in number, less information is
available about them than other ethnic groups. Despite this, Georgian
Americans have preserved their heritage and culture through various
organizations. As early as 1924, Georgian organizations were founded in
San Francisco and in New York City. These organizations held cultural
activities and social gatherings, and provided assistance to other
immigrants. Between 1955 and 1975, the Georgian American press was very
active.
Kartuli Azri
(Georgian Opinion) was the most popular newspaper and was it was heavily
supported by donations from Georgian Americans. Over the years, Georgians
have been fully assimilated into American culture. However, Georgian
Americans continue to proudly preserve many aspects of their unique
culture.

TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, AND BELIEFS

In Georgia, some tribes forbid women to have children until after they
have been married for three years. Georgian custom allows a maximum of
three children per couple. The birth of a boy is cause for great
celebration, while the birth of a girl is often met with disappointment.
Many Georgian Americans have long forsaken these customs. Other customs,
however, are still observed. Formality and mutual respect guide the daily
behavior of Georgian Americans. From an early age, children are trained in
etiquette and the social graces. The display of any "sexual"
behavior in public is considered a source of great shame. Privacy and
modesty are greatly cherished and women are treated with respect.

PROVERBS

Georgians, like many other ethnic groups from Transcaucasia, are known for
their many original proverbs. Examples include: Low places are considered
high when high places are lacking; That which one loses by laughing one
does not find again by crying; There is always a dirty spoon in every
family; He who does not seek friends is his own enemy; If you put your
nose into water you will also wet your cheeks; The cock cannot profit by
the friendship of the fox; One blames one's friend to his face and
one's enemy to his back; Don't spit into a well, one day it
may serve to quench your thirst; It is better to drink water from a small
spring than salt water from a great sea; The cart is heavy, but it makes
the load light.

CUISINE

Georgian Americans have a very rich, healthy, and tasty cuisine. Other
ethnic groups also enjoy Georgian cuisine, and it is typically featured on
menus in Russian restaurants. Georgian women often cook according to the
traditions of their homeland. A typical first course in a Georgian-style
meal may include fresh herbs, radishes, scallions, tiny cucumbers,
quartered tomatoes sprinkled with dill, home cured olives, pickled
cabbage, red kidney beans dressed with walnut sauce, eggplant puree,
cheese, and smoked sturgeon garnished with tarragon.
Khachapuri
(flat bread with cheese filling),
lobio
(kidney beans in plum sauce) and other types of appetizers are usually
accompanied by
lavash
(thin white bread) and
raki
(a dry and strong liquor made from berries or grape) or
chacha
(a grape vodka).
Sulguni,
a type of cheese, is served with fresh coriander and scallions.
Khmeli-suneli,
a very popular dish, consists of mixtures of dill, coriander, pepper, and
other strongly scented spices. Melons and oranges are often added to goat
or chicken that has been strongly spiced with peppers and heavily seasoned
with garlic. A chicken soup called
kharcho
is also served with walnuts.

Second courses may consist of skewers of fried or broiled fish such as
khramuli
or
kogak,
a white flesh fish that is delicately flavored. Lamb or chicken
stews (
chakhokhbili
) are served with wine.
Shashlik
is made of chicken, onions, and other vegetables on a skewer.
Kotmis satsivi
is a roast chicken or roast suckling pig served with walnut sauce.
Mtsvadi
is grilled lamb, pig or young goat, and
tabaka
is pressed fried chicken. Georgian cuisine also includes
pkhali
(vegetables and walnuts)
kinkali
(dumplings of beets), and pickled cabbage. All meals are served with
excellent wines, especially
Kindzmarauli
and
Teliani,
both of which are prized for their aromatic flavors. Desserts include
compotes, candied almonds or walnuts, various preserves, and
chuckella
(traditional candy made from grape juice and walnuts). Non-alcoholic
beverages consist of yogurt, syrups, fruit juices, and Turkish coffee.

TRADITIONAL COSTUMES

Traditional clothing is still found in the homes of some older generation
Georgian Americans, and is usually worn during Georgian folk festivals.
Men wear black wool pants and a long-sleeved shirt that buttons half way
down the front. This shirt is usually black and is often decorated around
the edges with silver or gold thread. Soft, tight-fitting leather boots
that extend above the knee are also worn. These boots have a thin sole and
no heels. A wool coat, usually black, brown, white, or gray in color, is
worn over the shirt and pants. It has no collar and is cut with a long,
narrow, V shaped opening from the neck halfway to the waist. Rows of
narrow pockets, six or eight on each side of the coat are sewn across the
chest. A belt containing a dagger (
kinjal)
or sword is worn around the waist. The head is adorned with a
papakha,
a fur cap of sheep or goatskin with the fleece side out, which hangs down
over the forehead. During winter months a
bashlik,
which is a hood of finely woven woolen material that can be tied around
the neck, is worn. A cape made of goat or sheep wool, called a
bourka,
is worn around the shoulders. It is usually black and semicircular in
shape, and fastened at the neck with thongs.

Georgian women wear long, floor-length gowns, with a tight bodice and long
sleeves ending at the waist. The gowns are made of silk and come in white
or a variety of pastel colors. A long, flowing scarf is often wrapped
around the head and shoulders. The hair is worn in at least two braids,
which frequently extend past the waist. An ornamental gold belt covers the
waist. A headdress, in gold or another bright color, covers the head.
Older women wear similar dresses, but in darker colors. They also wear a
turban-like headdress. Georgian women, like their male counterparts, also
wear boots. Unlike some of their neighbors, Georgian women do not wear a
veil in front of their faces.

It should be noted that Georgian Americans, like their conationals in
urban Georgia, dress in European or American-style clothes. Farmers also
dress in European shirts and trousers that are conservative in color.
Rural women typically wear blouses and long skirts.

DANCING, SONGS, AND MUSIC

Georgian men and women love to dance. Men dance on the tip of their toes
at increasing speeds, incorporating breath taking leaps and swift head
movements. Female dances employ scarves, handkerchiefs and pitches,
intricate arm movements, and simple, gliding steps. The most popular
Georgian dances are
Lezghinka,
in which men and women dance together;
partza,
a circular dance;
kartuli,
a dance of chivalry in which men are not permitted to touch the girls;
and
Samaya,
which is performed by three young girls to celebrate a wedding feast.
Young women often dance the
narnari,
which features beautiful arm and hand movements.

Dances are accompanied by highly rhythmic music in which drumming plays a
leading role. The characteristic feature of Georgian folk music is
polyphony. As a rule, multi-voice songs are performed by men. Women
perform some solos and duets. Georgian folk music is also rich in lyrical
songs honoring popular heroes. Georgian orchestras include flutes, lutes,
drums, cymbals, bagpipes, and mandolins. Beginning in the 1950s Georgian
singers and dancers, trained in their homeland, have performed in the
United States and throughout the world. These groups are widely acclaimed
for their exceptional artistic qualities. They have performed in New York,
Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Detroit, Cleveland, and many
other cities.

HOLIDAYS

Dozens of religious holidays are celebrated in Georgia, depending on the
region and locality. Several holidays are devoted to various saints,
particularly St. George. Two religious holidays observed by Georgians and
Georgian Americans are January 26 and May 19. Both of these days honor
Saint Nino, the patron saint credited with bringing Christianity to the
Georgians in the fourth century. Easter, Christmas, and New Year are also
major holidays. Church services are followed by a meal and various
festivities. Other important holidays include May 26, which celebrates the
proclamation of Georgia's independence in 1918; and August 29,
which marks Georgia's revolt against the Soviet Union in 1924. On
April 9, 1991, Georgia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.
This date has been added to the calendar of holidays.

HEALTH ISSUES

Georgian Americans are basically a vigorous people, with traditional
longevity. As noted earlier, in Georgia, every 51 of 100,000 people are
100 years of age or more. There are no specific health problems affecting
Georgian Americans.

Language

Karthli, the Georgian language, is part of the Ibero-Caucasian family of
languages and is distinct from Indo-European, Turkic, and Semitic
languages. It does not have any connection to other Northern Caucasian
language groups, even though it resembles them phonetically. Georgian is
based on the Armenian alphabet and its roots are attributed to St. Mesrop.
The Georgian language features a frequent recurrence of the sounds
ts, ds, thz, kh, khh, gh.
There are two systems of the Georgian alphabet. The first, Khutsuri,
consists of 38 letters and dates back to the fifth century
A.D.
It was used in the Bible and liturgical works. The second Georgian
alphabet, Mkherduli, consists of 40 letters and is used in ordinary
writing.

The Georgian language is rich, flexible, and contains a complex grammar.
High proportions of older Georgian Americans speak Georgian, while younger
generations tend to speak English. Georgian is taught at Columbia
University, Indiana University at Bloomington, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Emory University. Georgian books can be found
at the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, and universities
that teach the language.

GREETINGS AND POPULAR EXPRESSIONS

Me kvia
means my name is;
gamarjobat
is hello;
gmadlobt
is thank you;
inebet
is please;
nakhvamdis
is goodbye;
gauma . . .
jobs is cheers (when drinking wine). Other expressions:
deda
is mother;
mama
is father;
da
is sister;
zma
is brother;
mamuli
is fatherland;
ai
is this;
minda
is I want;
sadili
is dinner; "a" is pronounced like the a in the English word
"car;" and "I" is pronounced in English like
"ee."

Family and Community Dynamics

Georgian American families are known for their strong ties. Women play an
important role both in families and society, and divorce is frowned upon.
Although the father is the head of the family, women may keep their own
surnames when they marry, and there is no stigma when a husband lives with
the wife's parents. Children are raised to value their family and
respect older members. Young people are expected to be well-educated and
encouraged to become professionals. Georgians enjoy gathering with family
and close friends to gossip, praise traditions, and remember deceased
family members. Georgians are also known for their hospitality.

WEDDINGS

Georgians usually marry at a young age, and married couples are expected
to take care of their parents. In many cases, marriage is arranged by the
parents of the bride and groom, relatives, or close friends. Wedding
receptions traditionally include a series of toasts. The
tamada,
or toastmaster, is chosen by the audience, and leads toasts to the native
land, to parents, to friends, to the memory of the dead, to women, to
life, to children, and to the guests. After the toasts are made, all of
the guests say "
gauma . . .
jobs" (cheers). No one except the tamada may make a toast without
first asking permission. The couple then toasts the guests and thanks them
for their good wishes. After each toast, the guests must drink an entire
glass of wine.

Weddings in the Georgian Orthodox Church are performed according to old
customs. In the wedding ceremony, the groom is called
mepe
(king) and the bride
dedopali
(queen). The couple sips wine from the same cup and puts crowns on their
heads as a symbol of their union. The priest blesses the couple, and they
officially become husband and wife. The wedding ceremony is followed by a
reception with music and dancing.

BIRTH AND BAPTISMS

During a baby's christening (
natloba
), the godfather (
natlia
) plays a very important role. He first cuts the hair and nails of the
newborn. By doing this, it is believed that the qualities and talents of
the godfather are transmitted to the child. When the child is placed in
water during the christening, small coins are thrown in to bring the child
good luck and happiness.

FUNERALS

Following the death of a family member, church bells are rung three times
a day until the funeral ceremony is completed. During the funeral ceremony
the priest, assisted by a choir and deacon, sings prayers and hymns for
the dead. In the name of the
deceased, the priest asks for forgiveness of sins from family and
friends. Prayers are recited at the cemetery and the Gospel is read. The
coffin is then lowered into the grave, and soil sprinkled with holy water
is tossed on top of the coffin. Another recitation from the Gospel
concludes the funeral. After the funeral, the family of the deceased
shares a light meal and beverages to honor their loved one.

INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS

Georgian Americans maintain friendly ties with other ethnic groups who
immigrated from Georgia. These groups include Circassians, Ossetians, and
Cabardins. Many Georgian Americans have intermarried with Armenians,
Russians, Jews, and Ukrainians. They have also developed good relations
with Americans of other backgrounds and religious faiths.

Religion

Georgians became Christians in the fourth century
A.D.
under King Mirian (265-345) who erected the first Christian church, which
was later renamed the Cathedral of Mtskhet. The Georgian Orthodox Church,
a branch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, is headed by a
Catholicos-Patriarch with its headquarters in Georgia. Georgian law grants
the Catholicos the same power as that of a king, and the clergy actively
participates in the life of state affairs. Bishops must be at least 35
years old, priests not less than 30 years, and deacons over 25 years.

Georgian liturgy uses characteristic liturgical texts called
Kondaki,
and various blessings for stated occasions called
Khurthkhevani.
Its system of chronology has a new
annus mundi,
its own order of ecclesiastical teachings and feasts. Mass is always
accompanied by liturgical chants which employ specific Georgian styles and
forms. The Georgian cross has a heraldic shape, which is different from
the types of crosses used by other branches of the Eastern Orthodox
Church. Georgian Americans do not have their own churches, and usually
attend Russian Orthodox or Greek Orthodox churches.

Employment and Economic Traditions

Unlike the first wave of Georgian Americans who were employed as taxi
drivers or in manual labor jobs, succeeding generations have enjoyed
greater opportunities. Many are professionals (engineers, teachers,
doctors, artists, military officers), some are businessmen, others are
clerical workers. Most Georgian Americans belong to the middle class.

MILITARY

Some Georgian Americans became career military officers after World War
II. A Georgian American officer, General John Shalikashvili (1936–
), served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff between 1992 and 1996.
Shalikashvili emigrated to the United States with his parents following
World War II, completed a master's degree in international affairs
at George Washington University, and joined the military in 1958. He was a
decorated veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and eventually became
commander of American troops in Germany. Shalikashvili was also the
commander-in-chief of American armed forces in Europe before President
Clinton named him chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It marked the
first time that a Georgian American had been named to such a high position
within the military.

RELATIONS WITH FORMER COUNTRY

Georgian Americans have always been extremely proud of their homeland and
never accepted its forced incorporation into the Soviet Union. Georgian
American organizations and newspapers lobbied constantly for the creation
of an independent and democratic Georgia, a goal that was attained when
the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. New laws passed in Georgia have sought
to facilitate increased economic, cultural, and educational ties with
Georgian Americans.

Individual and Group Contributions

ACADEMIA AND EDUCATION

Dodona Kiziria was a professor of literature, cinema, and video at Indiana
University at Bloomington; Timur Djordjaz was a professor in the Theater
and Fine Arts Department, Pace University, New York City.

BALLET AND MUSIC

George Balanchine (1904-1983), was born Balanchivadze, and was a noted
ballet master and choreographer. He was considered the most influential
and finest choreographer of the twentieth century. Balanchine was the
cofounder and artistic director of the New York City Ballet Company,
worked for the New York Metropolitan Opera, created more than 200 ballets,
and choreographed several Broadway musicals and movies. He also wrote a
book about 101 ballet stories.

Alexander Toradze (1952-) was a pianist and winner of the 1977 Van Cliburn
competition in Moscow. He joined the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in
1983, and was later conductor of the Minnesota Opera.

George Chavchavadze (1904-1962) was a noted pianist with international
credits.

LITERATURE

George Papashvily (1898-1978) was an author who married American Helen
White after immigrating to United States in the 1920s. Together they wrote
Anything Can Happen
(1944), which chronicled his immigrant experiences. The book was a
bestseller, and was made into a 1952 movie by Paramount Pictures.
Papashvily and his wife also published the novel
All the Happy Endings
(1956) and
Home and Home Again
(1973), which included their impressions of Georgia after a visit during
the 1960s.

Svetlana Allilueva (1926– ), was born Djugashvili, and was the
daughter of Joseph Stalin. She defected from the Soviet Union to the
United States in 1967, and subsequently wrote
Twenty Letters to a Friend
(1967), and
Only One Year
(1969), both in Russian and English, which detail her experiences before
and after her defection, and her impressions about America.

Valerii Chalidze (1938– ), was an author, editor, and publisher,
who focused his writings on human rights violations in the former Soviet
Union; published
To Defend These Rights: Human Rights
and the Soviet Union (1975),
Criminal Russia: Essays on Crime in the Soviet Union
(1977),
The Soviet Human Rights Movement: A Memoir
(1984).

David Chavchadze (1938– ), was an author and linguist, former
intelligence officer, and a descendant of a noble family. He specialized
in tracing the nobility of Tsarist Russia, and published
Crowns and Trenchcoats: A Russian Prince in the CIA
(1990).

Paul Chavchavadze (1899-1971), was the author of fiction books, and the
translator of writings from Georgian into English. He came from the same
noble family as David Chavchadze.

JOURNALISM

Vladimir Babishvili (1923– ), was an international broadcaster, and
worked for the Voice of America for more than 20 years. He also translated
the works of Georgian writers in exile into English.

CULINARY ARTS

George Papashvily and his wife (already described in the Literature
section) published
Russian Cooking
(1970), which includes both Russian and Georgian recipes based on their
own kitchen experiences and also collected from other Georgian American
sources.

SCULPTURE

George Papashvily produced several pieces of sculpture, including
Georgian Folk Singer
, which was featured in the documentary film
Beauty in Stone.

SCIENCE

Alexander Kartvelishvili was an aeronautical engineer, designing the P-47
(Thunderbolt fighter plane) and S-84 (Thunderjet) during World War II and
the Korean War. He founded Republic Aviation.

BUSINESS

Prince Artchil Gourieli-Tchkonia (1895-1955), who emigrated to the United
States in 1937, and his wife Madam Helena Rubinstein (1882-1965), known as
the queen of cosmetic products, became a successful business couple. They
launched Gourelli Apothecary with two new lines of expensive cosmetic
products for women and men. The prince also established the "Prince
Machiabelli" line, which included "Cachet" in 1970,
and "Chimere" in 1980. These perfumes continued to remain
popular after the prince's death.

SOCIAL WORK

Prince Teymuraz Bagration (1913-1992), a descendant of Georgian royalty,
became president of the Tolstoy Foundation in New York City after World
War II and remained in this position until his death. He was known for his
efforts to resettle Georgian, Russian and other ethnic refugees from the
Soviet Union and East European countries. He was also involved in the
resettlement of refugees from Vietnam, Cuba, Uganda, and other countries.
As a member of Care and Interaction, a coalition of
more than 100 charitable organizations, Bagration was instrumental in
assisting displaced persons who wanted to start a new life in the United
States.

Media

PRINT

The Georgian American League published
Voice of Free Georgia
(1953-1958) in English; the American Council for Independent Georgia
published
Chveni Gza/Our Path
(1953-1960s), in Georgian with English summaries; and the Georgian
National Alliance sponsored the publication of
Georgian Opinion
(1951-1975). All three publications focused on events in Georgia, the
fight for a democratic and independent Georgia, and events in the Georgian
American community. By the end of the 1990s, there were no Georgian
American periodicals being published.

Organizations and Associations

Georgian Association in the United States (New York office).

Founded in 1931, this organization absorbed the Georgian National
Alliance, and focused its activities on preserving Georgian heritage in
America. It organizes cultural events, assists needy immigrants, maintains
a library with books about Georgia, and publishes a newsletter.

Contact:
Mrs. Elizabeth Zaldastani Napier, President.

Address:
164 Burns Street, Forest Hills, New York, New York 11375.

Telephone:
(718) 268-5749 or (617) 227-0695.

Georgian Association in the United States (D.C. office).

Contact:
Irakly Zurab Kakabadze.

Address:
3173 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20100.

Telephone:
(202) 223-1770.

Fax:
(202) 223-1779 or (617) 742-8353.

U.S.-Georgia Foundation.

Founded in 1992, its goal is to assist Georgia in becoming a more
democratic society with a free market economy and a multi-party political
system.

Contact:
Eduard Gudava.

Address:
1110 Vermont Avenue, Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20005.

Telephone:
(202) 429-0108.

Fax:
(202) 293-3419.

Museums and Research Centers

Harvard University (Houghton Library).

Deposits-on-loan: (80 boxes with the archives of the Georgian government
(1917-1921), and the correspondence of its legation abroad (Paris, Rome,
Berlin, Constantinople, and Bern), expenses made by the government,
domestic and foreign press about Georgia, and other valuable documents.
The loan period is 1974-2004 and, since 1988, the microfilm of the
archives has been available to scholars under the library's rules
governing the use of manuscripts.

Contact:
Librarian of Houghton Library.

Address:
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.

Telephone:
(617) 495-2401.

Fax:
(617) 496-4750.

Indiana University Libraries.

Possesses a collection of rare materials about Georgia and the Caucasus
region for the historical scholarly community. Access is restricted only
to those researchers that have permission to use the collection.

Contact:
Head Librarian.

Address:
10th and Jordan Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405.

Telephone:
(812) 455-3403 and 455-2452.

Fax:
(812) 855-3143.

Projecto Sella.

Consists of more than 2,000 glass-plate negatives featuring people,
landscape, and the architecture of Georgia and other regions of the
Caucasus from the late 1890s. The pictures are well preserved and the
negatives can be reproduced. They were taken by Vittorio Sella
(1859-1945), a well-known Italian photographer with international
credentials.

Contact:
Paul Kallmes, Coordinator.

Address:
P.O. Box 19928, Portland, Oregon 97280-0928.

Telephone:
(503) 244-6319.

Fax:
(503) 245-9879.

Russian Nobility Association.

Preserves biographical archives, and possesses more than 2,000 books on
historical and genealogical subjects related to former members of nobility
during Tsarist Russia. Among them are several Georgian princes who also
belonged to the Russian nobility.

Contact:
Alexis Shcherbatov.

Address:
971 First Avenue, New York, New York 10022.

Telephone:
(212) 755-7528.

Tolstoy Foundation.

Founded in 1939 as a voluntary organization to help refugees who have
escaped from oppressive regimes around the world. Its archives include
documents and other materials regarding Georgian refugees who were helped
by the organization from the end of World War II until the fall of
communism in the Soviet Union.

User Contributions:

Very nice article.
An unfortunate update to your site:
Mr. Vladimir (Lado) Babishvili,
journalist with Voice Of America
passed away a few years ago. He spent his last days
at The Tolstoy Foundation Nursing Home in New York.

Very informative article! In view of the recent and ongoing military conflict between Georgia, Russia and Inghushetia, it would very helpful to American understanding if someone could explain exactly what the ethnic, cultural, or other differences are that have led to the separatist movements within the so called "autonomous" regions. Thank you for your efforts!

Very good article indeed with information that shows great interest in Georgian culture.

However, there are some small mistakes such as South Osetia instead of Ingushetia. There are also three, not two, writing systems: Mkhedruli, Asomtavruli and Khutsuri. Some minor spelling errors: me mkvia/my name is, gaumarjos/cheers.

Although these are relatively minor mistakes, I would like to point out one that stands out: "The birth of a boy is cause for great celebration, while the birth of a girl is often met with disappointment." I have never encountered this kind of mentality in Georgia. In Georgia they say 'lekvi lomisa stsoria, dzu ikos tunda xvadia' (a lion cub is equal to a lion, may it be male or female). As a Georgian woman I find this statement false and offensive.

Good article, thanks, but there are lot of significant factual mistakes. I would list some of them with the hope they will be corrected.

1. You wrote: "The official language is Georgian, but Russian is used as a second language. The Georgian flag has a red background, with a white and blue horizontal square in the left corner."

I would say that nowadays English is more used as second language than Russian. And the Georgian flag is a white rectangle, with in its central portion a large red cross that extends to the edge of the flag. In the four corners there are four bolnur-katskhuri crosses of the same color.

2. You wrote: "Georgian is based on the Armenian alphabet and its roots are attributed to St. Mesrop."

Georgian alphabet was created by King Pharnavaz I of Iberia in the III century BC. St. Mesrop, as you claim, lived just in 362-440 AD. So, the Georgian alphabet existed at least some six hundred years before Mesrop Mashtots created the Armenian one. You might have this information from Armenian sources though and if so, that explains everything. :)

A very interesting article. I am in Afghanistan and work around Georgians every day. They are very friendly and seem to treat women very respectfully. I do have a question which I hope someone can answer: Most of them have flat heads...the back of the head is flat like they were placed on a flat board for a prolonged period of time when they were babies. Is there some type of custom or a certain way they are taken care of when they're young that shapes their heads that way?

Thanks for this nice article and I agree with #4, I hope many people would enjoy visiting Georgia, as Mr. John Steinbeck once wrote about his travels through the former Soviet Union: "If one tried to describe Georgia using one single word, the right word would definitely be hospitality.” Georgians are certainly known for being accommodating to their guests because they consider guests to be gifts from God. Expect to be treated like royalty if visiting a Georgian's home!

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